The present invention relates generally to receptacles, containers and the like, and, more particularly, to receptacles for safe storage and ultimate disposal of potentially injurious or contaminated implements such as used scalpel blades, hypodermic needles and like devices which pose a risk of causing infection or even disease by exposure to such implements.
With the advent of disposable medical implements such as surgical tools, hypodermic needles, scalpel blades and other sharp implements, a need has developed for a receptacle to safely store, and safely handle for disposal, such implements after use without risk of exposing people to injury, infection or disease by improper handling, until proper disposal can be made. The tragic outbreak of the highly contagious AIDS disease has dramatically highlighted the need for safer handling, storage and disposal of such implements.
In the case of disposable hypodermic needles, it had been common practice to break or cut the needles prior to discarding the needle and syringe in order to reduce the size of the overall needle/syringe device and to eliminate the sharp point from the needle to reduce the risk of injury which might otherwise result from handling. In breaking or cutting the needles, however, a substantial danger exists of accidental puncture during the breaking or cutting operation, thus exposing the holder to possible injury and, further, to possible infection or disease as a result of such puncture. In addition, any residual medication in the needle can splatter onto the person or his clothes and there is a further danger that potentially harmful fumes can be inhaled. The blades of the cutting tool also become a breeding ground for germs, bacteria and other disease-causing micro-organisms to which the unsuspecting person cutting the needle is unnecessarily exposed.
Recently, an even greater danger has been recognized in connection with the handling and dismantling of used needles and other sharp medical implements. It is now recognized that certain diseases, most notably Hepatitis B, can be transmitted by covert percutaneous--i.e., by merely contacting the contaminated needle or implement.
As a result of the foregoing dangers, the preferred current practice is to dispose of such devices intact, without dismantling them. Often, hypodermic needles are re-capped after use with the protective sheaths used during shipment from the manufacturer, in order to prevent injury while carrying the device to a suitable disposal unit. This practice itself, however, often results in puncture wounds suffered while re-capping the needle point.
Although certain proposals have been advanced for eliminating some of the risks involved in the handling, storage and disposal of hypodermic needles and other sharp medical implements, they generally do not overcome all of the dangers. In fact, they themselves can become the source of other problems. For example, there are several specially designed containers for storing used hypodermic needles, including some made of all plastic and some made of all cardboard, as identified, for example, in my two earlier-filed co-pending patent applications (application Ser. No. 513,616, filed July 14, 1983, and application Ser. No. 746,047, filed June 17, 1985 the disclosures of which are both hereby incorporated by reference herein).
Although such specially designed devices provide adequate results under certain circumstances, they do suffer certain disadvantages as explained in my aforesaid copending applications. Of particular concern is the fact that in virtually all of these containers, either the entire syringe/needle or the syringe with the needle stub is dropped vertically into the containers, thus creating a haphazard distribution of needles in the container. Such distribution usually results in an inefficiently filled container and can be the cause of possible injury to the user who may attempt to reach into the receptacle to rearrange the implements and make room for additional implements. Furthermore, the containers will likely end up in a dangerously overfilled condition wherein personnel will attempt to "stuff" more devices than can be safely handled and thereby result in a serious risk of puncture.
As set out in my aforesaid co-pending applications, the receptacles and containers disclosed therein (also sold under the mark "D.D.BOX" by D.D.Box Inc. of Paterson, N.J. and Highland Beach, Fla.) overcome virtually all of the foregoing drawbacks. However, even with the advantages achieved by my previous containers and receptacles, some hospital administrators and other medical personnel still express a desire for a self-contained, all-plastic storage/disposal container which will provide protection against injury from or contact with discarded implements and still allow horizontal drop of implements as in my previous containers and receptacle assemblies.
One all-plastic container which attempts to provide a unitary, all-plastic, horizontal drop container is sold by Frontier Plastics under the designation "Sharpsafe". Although the "Sharpsafe" device provides generally adequate results in certain applications, it does suffer some notable drawbacks. For example, although it includes a slanted-wall chute at its opening to permit horizontal deposit of used needles, it provides no means for ensuring that the needles will remain in a horizontal orientation as they fall into the container. In addition, there is no means for preventing a person either from inserting a needle in a vertical or other non-horizontal orientation or from reaching into the container so as to risk possible puncture or injury. Moreover, a person has to rely on his or her visual depth perception when looking into the opening to determine whether the container has reached a filled or overfilled condition, and, it is not difficult to try to remove implements from the container by reaching into it especially when filled or overfilled. It also involves three separate parts that are assembled by a somewhat complicated interfitting arrangement.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved receptacle for storage and disposal of hypodermic needles, scalpels and other sharp or pointed implements which pose a health risk by reason of injury, puncture or even mere contact (hereinafter referred to collectively as "potentially injurious implements", or simply "disposable implements"). It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved receptacle for storing potentially injurious implements, which is sturdy and resistant to puncture by the implements retained therein, yet permits convenient and complete disposal of the implements together with the receptacle.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a new and improved receptacle for storage and disposal of potentially injurious implements, which is adapted to receive implements in a compact side-by-side horizontal configuration for maximum storage capacity. It is another object of the invention to provide such a receptacle which substantially prevents implements stored therein from falling out after closure of the receptacle, and which provides a permanently sealable disposable container which can be conveniently discarded in an appropriate disposal facility. In addition, it is an object of the invention to provide such a receptacle which prevents a person's hand from contacting such implements within the receptacle.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved receptacle for storing potentially injurious implements, which is compact, and can be conveniently mounted to any wall or other desired structure, yet can also be decorated for producing an attractive receptacle which can be installed in doctor offices, patient rooms or other hospital areas.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a new and improved receptacle for storing potentially injurious implements, which remains open and accessible for deposit of implements, yet passively prevents hand entry into the receptacle without requiring any moving parts such as a door, lid or like closure member which must be opened and closed.
It is still a further object of the invention to provide such a receptacle which permits simply placing the potentially injurious implements at the opening of the receptacle and ensures that each implement will be deposited in a horizontal orientation into the receptacle for efficient side-by-side stacking of implements, and prevents a person from depositing such an implement in a vertical or other non-horizontal orientation. In addition, it is an object of the invention to permit such simple deposit of the implements while substantially preventing a person's hand from reaching inside the receptacle.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide such a receptacle which facilitates a person's ability to easily recognize when the receptacle has been filled to its intended capacity or has reached an overfill or dangerous overfill condition. Furthermore, it is an object of the invention to provide a small compartment which allows the receptacle to be safely overfilled with a few additional implements when, for example, there may be insufficient time to dispose of a filled receptacle and locate a fresh one.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved receptacle of the foregoing type which includes mounting means adapted to provide further resistance to hand entry into the receptacle, yet still permits easy visual detection of the overfill condition.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a receptacle of the foregoing type which is adapted to permit relatively simple but secure closure of the receptacle when filled. Further, it is an object of the invention to provide such a receptacle which is adapted to permit full closure even if the receptacle has reached the overfilled or dangerously overfilled condition.
The foregoing specific objects and advantages of the invention are illustrative of those which can be achieved by the present invention and are not intended to be exhaustive or limiting of the possible advantages which can be realized. Thus, these and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description herein or can be learned from practicing the invention, both as embodied herein or as modified in view of any variations which may be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the present invention resides in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements, combinations and improvements herein shown and described.